When I mentally step
back and take a bird's eye view of salvation history, one of the most
awe-inspiring thoughts to me is the fact that God interacts with man.
Beginning at creation when God created man in His image and walked
and talked with him in the garden, through the Fall when sin created
the unbreachable crevasse of separation between God and man, and then
on through the ages when God longs to fellowship with those whose
hearts will respond to Him in faith, the fact that God desires and
pursues intimate relationship with His creation is simply
mind-boggling. The God of the universe, the Creator of the world and
the galaxies, the infinite, eternal, holy God wants fellowship with his creatures. If this truth weren't undeniably revealed to us in holy writ,
the presumption of the idea would be monstrous.
In the old testament
we see God begin the epic work of restoring the relationship lost at
the fall. He gave His physical presence to the nation of Israel and
dwelt with them through the exodus and years of wandering through the
desert, a presence revealed by fire which dwelt over the tabernacle
and which led them constantly. They experienced His presence in the
fire, earthquakes and smoke of Sinai when they entered into covenant
with Him. Later His presence descended on the temple built by
Solomon in Jerusalem. This presence continued until the fall of
Jerusalem to Babylon at which time “the glory departed”.
After centuries of
silence, the story of the pursuit reopens in the new testament. Once
again the glory returns, this time in hidden form, the form of a
baby. The God of the universe, the Creator of the world and the
galaxies, the infinite, eternal, holy God once again seeks fellowship with man, now coming as a redeemer and sacrifice, actually
coming in human form to live among us and then die to restore us by
paying for our sin and rebellion. It is wonderful beyond
comprehension, the condescension and love of God that would cause Him
to pay such a great price to have fellowship and communion with His
rebellious creation. As the hymn writer cried, “How deep the
Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure!”
But the crowning
chapter of God's progressive pursuit of fellowship with His creature
comes at Pentecost. The even more unbelievable step of actually
indwelling the creature was realized. In every heart that is
willing to submit and believe/accept His atoning sacrifice for their
sin, God seals the covenant relationship by coming in, by the
inexpressible condescension of actually indwelling the creature and
making His home in that person. This time there is no earthquake and
smoke, no fire (although at pentecost there was the appearance of
flames, which would have been loaded with meaning for the Jews!).
Just as after His resurrection He “was ever wont to glide,
unheralded, into the midst of His disciples through unopened doors”*,
He now gently enters our innermost beings and begins the work of
transforming us through His presence into what we were meant to be,
what we could never become apart from His presence in us. And
whatever our stage in that transformation, He fellowships with us in
the deepest and most satisfying ways.
Bernard of Clairvaux
said it this way:
He entered not by
the eyes, for His presence was not marked by color; nor by the ears,
for there was no sound; nor by the breath, for He mingled not with
the air; nor by the touch, for He was impalpable. You ask, then, how
I knew that He was present. Because He was a quickening power. As
soon as He entered, He awoke my slumbering soul. He moved and
pierced my heart, which before was strange, stony, hard and sick, so
that my soul could bless the Lord and all that is within me praised
His Holy Name.”
Man, made in the
image of God, is now recreated from the inside out through His
indwelling presence. He goes about the work of re-creation and
establishes the fellowship He has longed for from the beginning. Our
hearts can now join with the Psalmist who says, “Lift up your
heads, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of
Glory may come in!” (Psalm 24) Truly He has entered through the
gates of our lives and brought His Glory with Him. May our hearts
respond in loving submission and obedience to His benevolent reign,
purchased at great price for us. What peace and hope and
inexpressible joy – God with us!
*FB Meyer, The
Secret of Guidance.
